The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar turf bermudagrass named ‘OKC 1131’ and is hereinafter referred to by its cultivar name ‘OKC 1131’.
‘OKC 1131’ is a clonally propagated interspecific triploid hybrid (2n=3x=27) from a cross of Cynodon dactylon var. dactylon accession A12268 (2n=4x=36) x C. transvaalensis Oklahoma State University (OSU) selection ‘2747’ (2n=2x=18)—accordingly, ‘OKC 1131’ does not produce seed. Cynodon dactylon var. dactylon accession A12268 (2n=4x=36) is a common bermudagrass which was crossed with C. transvaalensis Oklahoma State University (OSU) selection ‘2747’ (2n=2x=18), an African bermudagrass. The cultivar will be marketed as an “interspecific turf bermudagrass, Cynodon dactylon var. dactylon Pers. accession A12268 x C. transvaalensis Burtt-Davy OSU selection ‘2747’.” The Cynodon dactylon var. dactylon accession A12268 and C. transvaalensis ‘2747’ parents are no longer available for comparison.
‘OKC 1131’ is an asexually-reproduced interspecific turf bermudagrass, first developed by planting clonal plants of the two parents within close proximity, in a small crossing plot at the Oklahoma State University Agronomy Research Station in August 2006 in Stillwater, Okla. Stolons of ‘OKC 1131’ were regularly used in the vegetative propagation of ‘OKC 1131’; however, sod and sprigs are presently utilized in the commercial production of ‘OKC 1131’. Seeds were hand-harvested from their respective parents in the crossing block, and germinated in the summer of 2007. Seedlings from the harvested seed of this cross, as well as other crosses between other parent plants, were transplanted to a space-planted selection nursery (2008 Turf Bermudagrass Hybrid Selection Nursery) in July 2008. In the fall of 2010, 64 clonal plants were selected from the nursery; in 2011, the selected plants were entered into a regional trial with two replications at seven locations: Stillwater, Okla.; Dallas and College Station, Tex.; Gainesville Fla.; Raleigh, N.C.; Tifton and Griffin, Ga. In 2013, ‘OKC 1131’ was advanced to the 2013-2018 National Turfgrass Evaluation Program (NTEP) National Bermudagrass Test.
The NTEP test provided data from 17 locations in 2013 and 2014, and from 19 locations in 2015. ‘Latitude 36’ (tradename for ‘OKC 1119’ described and claimed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 24,271), ‘Tifway’, ‘Patriot’ (described and claimed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 16,801), and ‘Celebration’ (tradename for ‘Riley's Super Sport’ described and claimed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 11,181) were utilized as comparative standard cultivars for vegetatively propagated entries in the national test. This multi-environment testing provided the most definitive data on the performance characteristics of ‘OKC 1131’ relative to other turf bermudagrass cultivars.
The distinctive traits of the variety have remained stable as the advanced generation clonal plants appear identical to the original plant in morphological phenotype and in genetic characteristics that have been measured.